tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post4832753794743027944..comments2023-10-26T15:34:56.807+01:00Comments on Pond Parleys: An Expat View of LondonPond Parleyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03127142379706540812noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-10157631355530764502010-09-30T20:32:45.794+01:002010-09-30T20:32:45.794+01:00I've just tried to pay my gas bill over the ph...I've just tried to pay my gas bill over the phone (in Chicago) and they wouldn't let me because I couldn't give them the account number. (Ball & Chain has gone off with the bill.) That despite the fact that I answered the code question correctly. Sheesh.Expat mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17798190669591053390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-65148604790750965822010-09-30T15:12:38.107+01:002010-09-30T15:12:38.107+01:00The funny thing is that the banking thing *feels* ...The funny thing is that the banking thing *feels* sexist. We just moved to Chicago for my husband's job, and because I've always had my own job, bank account, everything, before, it feels very odd being relegated to second class citizen status on moving to a new country. You feel like people are fitting you into a 50s housewife role when they refuse to send you bank statements, discuss the lease on your apartment with you, etc. And it's horrible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-5712454197629429242010-09-28T22:02:01.497+01:002010-09-28T22:02:01.497+01:00Thank you all for commenting. I realize that it...Thank you all for commenting. I realize that it's not a sexist thing - the banking, but it hurts all the same. As for television, I think it depends on where you grew up and what you're familiar with - it's what you prefer. I prefer US TV because it's a comfort of sorts. There are loads of great things on the telly here and I'm sure many I haven't even discovered yet. I'll get there (but I don't have much time to watch anything anyway.) Lou - I'm with you - you like what you know and are familiar with - living abroad is fantastic. This is the third country I've lived in, possibly not the last, but I prefer the USA because it's what I consider home. And you always want to go HOME.'Cross the Pondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06440785047330329486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-45210641927605566432010-09-28T13:17:29.253+01:002010-09-28T13:17:29.253+01:00I've lived in the US briefly and in Greece and...I've lived in the US briefly and in Greece and my husband and I lived on a little Island near France for 5 years before we had the kidlets.... It made me realise I NEVER want to live anywhere but the UK again. Don't get me wrong, I'd travel the world in a heartbeat and would love to be rich enough to own a holiday home somewhere hot, but home is HOME!Lou Archerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06349559305444036113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-62055462883508554092010-09-27T22:46:52.160+01:002010-09-27T22:46:52.160+01:00It's lovely that you can see all the fab thing...It's lovely that you can see all the fab things about the move as well as the icky. So many new expats seem to focus on the bad stuff and I feel so sad for them!! But having met you I sense that you;d never just look at one side of anything.<br /><br />PS You can get Bounty paper towels here, hurrah! They're called Plenty though. I just bought some today in fact... :DMichellouihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16841678308675092702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-47460547192699994562010-09-27T18:11:22.084+01:002010-09-27T18:11:22.084+01:00I must add that the bank issue isn't sexist - ...I must add that the bank issue isn't sexist - more a question of paperwork and status. I've been here for 20 years, am a citizen and went into the AT&T store the other day to get my phone fixed. Even though I showed ID (with address) they wouldn't even look at it, because the phones are all registered to my husband (it being a family plan) and he needs to go into a store and have me put on the plan as an authorised person. Pah!Expat mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17798190669591053390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-18253036458958043522010-09-27T15:00:19.657+01:002010-09-27T15:00:19.657+01:00Interesting to read your take on it Erin! I have d...Interesting to read your take on it Erin! I have done the opposite to you, having moved from London to just outside New York. I can tell you that it is the same moving to the US, you are basically an alien who has no rights until you can get a social security number. Even now we have trouble getting credit cards, car insurance and the rest.<br /><br />Also, I have experienced that I am paying much more for TV here with our cable package than we did in the UK with License Fee and Freeview- the license fee is very good value and also allows you the joy of watching TV without ads.<br /><br />So, I guess it's all relative! Hope you enjoy London and don't miss NYC too much - I will say hello to it for you.nappy valley girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10788949037047084412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-74678318342973728062010-09-27T14:54:31.307+01:002010-09-27T14:54:31.307+01:00I think London is a very impersonal place and not ...I think London is a very impersonal place and not particularly friendly.<br />I don't think you should judge all of England by your experiences in London.<br />Enjoyed reading your post and wish you well and hope you feel settled soon.<br />Maggie <br /><br /><a href="http://granniemay.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Nuts in May</a>Maggie Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06183886005936250976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-39926540774366758942010-09-27T09:10:55.275+01:002010-09-27T09:10:55.275+01:00Fascinating post. As someone who lived in the USA ...Fascinating post. As someone who lived in the USA for a couple of years I can relate to a lot of what you say Erin. The same language thing really does lull you into a false sense of security. The reason you couldn't get a bank account was because you weren't working, not because you were a woman! I had the same thing in the USA - I couldn't even get the utilities set up at our home in the USA because I had no social security number!! I was a non-person ....... :( Disagree about the TV in the UK - you don't need to buy cable in the UK to get loads of decent TV stations on Freeview. The 12 quid a month we pay to the BBC is, IMO, well worth it for eight high quality TV channels, radio, internet resources etc. I found that TV in the USA was dire beyond belief but at least I caught up with my immense reading list while we were there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-54361020592708475282010-09-27T08:11:37.699+01:002010-09-27T08:11:37.699+01:00Enjoyed reading someone else's experience. I&...Enjoyed reading someone else's experience. I'm in the same boat, having arrived here 4 months ago from Sydney for my husbands work with 2 small children. <br /><br />I think London is a really friendly city. I've found people to be exceptionally welcoming. This could be pure luck to do with where we live, or maybe they just felt sorry for me as my husband was away for the first 2 months we were here. <br /><br />Either way, I've been impressed. One example is when we first arrived all the neighbours made a point of coming to meet us - am sure that doesn't happen in many big cities!This Mid 30s Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12912056822016083189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374269644093476975.post-43622190856789811682010-09-27T06:26:58.385+01:002010-09-27T06:26:58.385+01:00Mmmmmmm,...bagels. I haven't had a decent bag...Mmmmmmm,...bagels. I haven't had a decent bagel since my last visit to Brooklyn.MikeHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01530099708429116393noreply@blogger.com